Washing-machine



(Model.) I 2 sheets'sheet 1. E. E. NEWTON 8v W. PITZPATRIK.

WASHING MACHINE.

Patentedeb. l, 1887.

Witnesses @Nolan @1J Y www.

N. PETERS. Phonrm'"mgl-.wherA wuhingmn, D. C.

(Model.)l 2 sheets-smet 2'. E. E. NEWTON 8u W. FITZPATRICK.

WASHING MACHINE.

ANo. 357,022. Patented Peb. 1, .1887.

N. PETERS. Phnm-mhbgmpher. wa-hiumm i o xvi UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EMORY E. NEVVTQN AND WILLIAM FITZPATRICK, OF BRAZILTON, KANSAS.

WASHING- MACHINE.

SPECIIEECATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 357,022, dated February 1, 1887.

Y Application tiled May 8, 18H3. Serial No. 201,5(3. (Model.)

To all wwm t may concern:

Beit known that we, EMoRY E. Nnw'croN and WILLIAM FITZPATRICK, citizens of the United States, residing at Brazilton, in the county of Crawford and State of Kansas, have invented anew and useful Improvement in Washing- Machines, of which the following is a 'specification.

Our i-nvention relates to improvements in washing-machines; and it consists of the peculiar and novel construction and arrangement of the various parts for service, substantially as hereinafter fully set forth, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The obj ect of our invention is to provide an improved washingmachinefor thoroughly and expeditiously cleansing fabrics, clothing, or other like articles of apparel, which shall be simple and strong in construction and cheap and inexpensive of manufacture; to provide` means for regulating the pressure on the fabries, which shall assist in forcing out the dirt therein, and to provide improved lever mechanism for actuating the rollers, which shall be so arranged that the operator can stand away from the receptacle, and thus be out of the way of the steam arising therefrom.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a washing-machine embodying our invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical central longitudinal sectional view through the apparatus. Fig. 3 is atransverse vertical sectional view on the line x x of Fig.'2. Fig. 4 is a detached perspective view of the traveling roller-frame. Fig. 5 is a like lView of the operating-lever. Fig. 6 is a detail view in plan of the false bottom.

Referring to the drawings, in which like letters of reference denote corresponding parts in all the gures, A designates the snds b'ox or receptacle of our improved washingmachine, which is preferably made rect-angular in form and supported upon legs or standards c, which are suitably secured thereto and arranged at opposite corners ofthe said box.

' The suds-box is further provided with an open top, and on its longitudinal walls it is provided with cleats or strips B, which are secured thereto in any suitable or preferable manner, one of the end walls of the suds-box being provided with an outlet, c', for the escape of the dirty water after the operation of washing the fabrics has been completed, the said exit being closed by a plug or stopper, A', that prevents the escape of water from the suds box when the apparatus is in use.

' C designates the lever-supporting frame, which is arranged in a vertical position above the sudsbox and having its side rails passed through the cleats B, and suitably secured detachably and rigidly thereto, so that the frame can be removed to displace the traveling frame that carries the rollers which actupon the fabrics.

Y D designates a false bottom, which is inclosed within the receptacle or suds-box A, and is free to move vertically therein under the impact thereon of the traveling roller-frame. This false bottom is normally elevated above and held out of contact with the bottom of the receptacle by means of coiled retractingsprings E, which are suitably secured to and carried by the false bottom, and which bear or rest on the bottom of the receptacle. The

water is poured in-the receptacle and flows to the bottom thereof, and the false bottom is provided with a series of vertical openings, d, through which the water is free to circulate and have access to the fabrics on the said false bottom. The false bottom is further provided with a series of transversely-arranged stripsl or cleats, F, which are suitably secured thereon to provide a corrugated surface, and these strips or cleats are arranged in an angular or inclined position across the false bottom and equidistant from leach other.l

G designates the traveling frame, which comprises two parallel side bars, g, and the transverse connecting-bars g', and in these side bars are journaled two or more rollers, H. These rollers are loosely jonrnaled in the frame and are free to rotate therein independently of each other, and they bear on the corrugated surface of the spring-actuated falsey bottom, which thus serves as a rubbing-board.' y

I designates ahandle-lever,which comprises a bar, i, and the arm 7', arranged at right angles and rigidly secured to the handle-bar fi, and this lever is pivoted at the junctionA of the handle-bar t' and the arm jto the horizontal cross-bar-of the frame C. This pivot for the -handle-lever comprises, preferably, a shaft or pin, lr, which is carried by the lever, and the ends of this shaft or pin are journaled in bear IOC) , ings or hangers 7c', which are secured to the frame C, and the handle-bar iandarmj of the lever are braced and strengthened by loops or bails K and L. These loops or bails arejournaled on the arm j, and the upper end of the loop L is journaled in a bearing, l, that is' secured to the handle-bar t' in any suitable inanner, while the free end of the bail K is fitted on a reduced end of the handle-bar. By disengaging the loop K from the reduced end of the handle-bar the arm j can be swung downwardly on the loop L and away from the handle-bar. rlhe lower free end of the arm j of the lever carries two transverse pins,j', which are suitably secured therein and project beyond the said arm on opposite sides thereof, and these pins lit and bear i n transverse grooves or seats u, formed in the upper surface of a bearing-plate, N, that is carried by the traveling frame of the machine, the said bearingplate having a longitudinal slot, n', for the reception of the free end of the arni, as shown.

This being the construction of our invention, the operation thereof is as follows: The water isfirst placed in the suds-box and circulates freely through the perforated false bottom thereof, and the fabrics are placed in this sudsbox and rest on the false bottom and beneath the rollers of thetraveling frame, and this frame is moved back and forth longitudinally of the receptacle by operating the handle-lever. Vheu the free end of the lever is raised, it acts upon the arm to draw the traveling carriage or frame in one direction, andthe pins of the arm engage with the sides of the groove-seats in the bearing-plate, and when the end of the lever is depressed the frame is forced in the opposite direction. \Vhen the frame travels back and forth in the suds-box, the rollers rotate independently of each other and by frictional Contact with the fabrics in the receptacle, and the said fabrics are thus subjected to the rolling action of the rollers Aand the action of the corrugated surface of the false bottoni, whereby they are thoroughly cleansed, and but a minimum of wear and tear on the fabrics is exerted by the parts. The false bottom is forced upwardly by the springs, and it is thereby held in proper relative position for the rollers of the f'rame to act on the fabrics carried thereby, and when a large bulk of the fabrics is eongregated beneath the travcling frame the springs are depressed to permit the movement of the frame.

By means of the peculiar form of bearingplate and the pins in engagement therewith the friction between the lever and frame is reduced and the operation of the parts rendered more certain and effective, while at the same time the lever and frame can be readily disconnected and removed from the receptacle.

XVe would have it understood that we do not desire to confine ourselves t-o the particular construction and arrangement of parts herein shown and described, as we are aware that changes therein can be niade without departing from the principle of ourinvention.

The ends of the transverse strips of the spring-actuated false bottom are protected by means of longitudinal strips 0, that are secured to the side edges of the said bottom,and have the ends of the inclined strips abutting against the same, and, if desired, the bearingplate may be composed of two parallel strips that are arranged a short distance apart toforin the slot and have the grooves in their upper edges.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. As an improvcnientin washing-machines, the combination of a suds-box having an upright frame, a false bottom arranged in the suds-box,the springs beneath the false bottom, a traveling f'rame working in the suds-box and having the rollers riding upon the false bottom therein,the parallel strips or cleats affixed to the traveling frame and having the transverse aligned grooves or seats a in their upper edges, and a lever pivoted to the frame and having its lower end fitted between the parallel strips, and provided with the transverse pins which fitin the grooves in the strips, substantiall y as described,for the purpose set forth.

2. As aniinprovementin washing-machines, the combination of a suds-box having the fixed frame C, a flat false bottom fitted in the sudsboX,the coiled springslocated beneath the false bottom,a traveling frame working in thesudsbox and having two or more vrollers loosely journaled therein,and located on substantially the saine horizontal plane, the parallel cleats affixed to the traveling frame and having the transverse aligned grooves in their upper edges,a horizontal lever pivoted near its inner end to the fixed frame, a vertical arm pivoted at its upper end and on one side to the inner end of the horizontal lever, and having the transverse pins in its lower end, which fit in the grooves in the parallel strips, and a bail or loop,K, pivoted in the upper end of the vert-ical arm and fitting over the lever, the wholearranged and combined substantially as described, for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have hereto affixed our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

E MORY E. NEWTON. VILLIAM FITZPATRIGK. Witnessesz XVM. DISNEY, l?. F. ViiNsLYKE.

ICC

IIC 

